Pelargonium plant named &#39;free rured&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new  pelargonium  plant particularly distinguished by dark-red, double flowers, floriferous with small to medium-sized semi-spherically shaped inflorescences, grass-green foliage, small leaves with weak zonation, medium vigor, medium sized, tight, compact, round and well-branched plant habit, initially spreading, later decumbent to somewhat trailing plant habit with an early flowering response, is disclosed.

GENUS AND SPECIES

Pelargonium peltatum L'Héritier

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Free Rured’

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar ofpelargonium, botanically known as a Pelargonium peltatum L'Héritier, andhereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Free Rured’. The newcultivar was propagated from a seedling resulting from the cross of thefemale parent ‘8652-2’, a dark-red-flowered proprietary pelargoniumplant (unpatented) and the male parent ‘8653-8’ (unpatented) aproprietary pelargonium plant having burgundy-red flowers.

The new cultivar was created in 2002 in Gilroy, Calif. and has beenasexually reproduced repeatedly by vegetative cuttings and tissueculture in Gilroy, Calif. and Hillscheid, Germany over a three-yearperiod. The present invention has been found to retain its distinctivecharacteristics through successive asexual propagations.

Plant Breeder's Rights for this cultivar were applied for in Canada onMar. 29, 2005 and with the European Union on Sep. 20, 2005.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishingcharacteristics of this new cultivar when grown under normalhorticultural practices in Gilroy, Calif. and Hillscheid, Germany.

-   -   1. Dark-red, double flowers;    -   2. Floriferous with small to medium-sized,        semi-spherically-shaped inflorescences;    -   3. Grass-green foliage, relatively small leaves with weak        zonation;    -   4. Medium vigor, medium, tight and compact plant habit;    -   5. Initially spreading, later decumbent to somewhat trailing,        rounded and well-branched plant habit; and    -   6. An early flowering response.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

This new pelargonium plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographwhich shows overall plant habit including inflorescences, buds, andfoliage of the plant; the colors shown are as true as can be reasonablyobtained by conventional photographic procedures. The photograph is ofan above view of three 25-week-old plants grown in a greenhouse inmid-Summer in Hillscheid, Germany.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following detailed description sets forth the distinctivecharacteristics of ‘Free Rured’. The data which define thesecharacteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out inHillscheid, Germany. The plant history was taken on 13-week old plantswhich were planted as rooted cuttings in 12-cm pots in late May 2005 andgrown in a greenhouse. The plants were pinched once. Color readings weretaken under natural light in mid-May from flowers grown in thegreenhouse. Color references are primarily to the R.H.S. Colour Chart ofThe Royal Horticultural Society of London (R.H.S.) (2001).

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

-   Classification:    -   -   Family.—Geraniaceae.        -   Botanical.—Pelargonium peltatum L'Héritier.        -   Common name.—Ivy geranium.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—‘8652-2’ a proprietary dark-red flowered            pelargonium plant (unpatented).        -   Male parent.—‘8653-8’, a proprietary pelargonium plant            having burgundy-red flowers (unpatented).-   Growth:    -   -   Form.—Shrub, self-branching, rounded shape.        -   Branching habit.—11.0 branches per plant.        -   Height (measured from the top of the soil, excluding the            inflorescence).—19.7 cm.        -   Width (horizontal plant spread).—37 cm.        -   Plant size in late Summer (plant radius, measured from the            plant base to the tips).—30 week-old plant developed            branches of 55 cm in length.        -   Time to produce a finished flowering plant.—About 11 to 12            weeks for a 12-cm to 14-cm pot in the Spring.        -   Outdoor plant performance.—Plants continuously flower; a            count in early September of 30-week old plants in            Hillscheid, Germany produced about 20 inflorescences per            plant.        -   Time to initiate and develop roots.—About 24 days at 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fibrous.-   Leaves:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite on flowering branches.        -   Immature leaf color.—Upper surface: RHS 143A (grass-green)            Lower surface: Between RHS 143B.        -   Mature leaf color.—Upper surface: RHS 143A (grass-green)            Lower surface: RHS 143B.        -   Size.—Length: 4.7 cm Width: 8.2 cm.        -   Apex.—Rounded.        -   Base.—Cordate or sub-cordate.        -   Shape.—Ivy-shaped with most often only weak lobes, the            lowest lobes form an obtuse angle.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture.—Upper surface: Smooth, leathery and glossy Lower            surface: Protruding veins in palmate arrangement.        -   Zonation color.—RHS 147A, absent to weak.        -   Zonation diameter.—1.6 cm, the zone is a small ring close to            the leaf base.        -   Venation type.—Palmate.        -   Venation color.—RHS 145A (pale-green).        -   Petioles.—Color: RHS 143C (light-green) Length: About 5 cm            to 8 cm Diameter: 0.2 cm Texture: Covered with very short,            fine pubescence.-   Stems:    -   -   Number of branches.—11.        -   Stem color.—RHS 143B (light-green).        -   Length.—27.7 cm.        -   Diameter (at mid-point).—About 0.4 cm.        -   Internode length.—1.5 cm to 3.0 cm.        -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.-   Inflorescence bud:    -   -   Shape.—Broadly elliptical.        -   Size.—Length: 1.7 cm Width: 1.2 cm.        -   Color of sepals (just before petals unfold).—RHS 137D            (green).        -   Color of petals (just before petals unfold).—RHS 61B            (purple-red).-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Blooming habit.—Continuous from Spring to Fall.        -   Inflorescence type.—An umbel composed of 9 to 15 flowers.        -   Umbel.—Shape: Semi-spherical or nearly semi-spherical, tight            Diameter: 8.8 cm Height (depth): 4.0 cm to 4.5 cm.        -   Lastingness of umbel on the plant.—About 15 to 17 days.        -   Flowering response.—Average of 5 open inflorescences 13            weeks after planting rooted cuttings.        -   Lastingness of individual flowers on plant.—6 to 9 days at            18° C.        -   Fragrance.—None.        -   Peduncle.—Color: RHS 143C (light-green) Length: 11.3 cm            Diameter: 0.3 cm Texture: Smooth with sparse, short hairs.        -   Pedicel.—Color: Mainly RHS 143C (light-green), RHS 146A            (olive-green) near the flower base Length: 2.6 cm Diameter:            0.1 cm Texture: Short, fine pubescence.-   Corolla:    -   -   Shape of corolla.—Round outline with both the upper petals            and lower petals roughly of the same size.        -   Form.—Double.        -   Diameter.—5.1 cm.        -   Number of petals.—About 20 to 30.        -   Petaloids.—Shape: Variable, narrower and shorter than the            petals, threadlike, with tube-shaped base or like a small            petal Number: 2 to 5 Color: RHS 155A (white) at the base,            upper end may correspond to petal color or be a slightly            less deep-red hue; RHS 46B to RHS 46C.-   Petals:    -   -   Shape.—Obovate.        -   Apex.—Rounded.        -   Base.—Acute.        -   Margin.—Entire or slightly crenated at the tips.        -   Texture.—Smooth, slightly glossy.        -   Upper petals.—Length: 2.8 cm to 3.0 cm Width: 1.7 cm to 1.9            cm Color: Upper surface: Mainly RHS 46A (dark-red), RHS 46B            near the bases Lower surface: RHS 53C (dull red-purple)            Markings: Two nearly black veins, RHS 187A.        -   Lower petals.—Length: 2.6 cm to 2.8 cm Width: 1.5 cm to 1.6            cm Color: Upper surface: From RHS 46A to RHS 46B Lower            surface: RHS 53C Markings: Absent.-   Sepals:    -   -   Number.—5 to 6.        -   Color.—RHS 143C (light-green) for both surfaces, no            anthocyanin.        -   Length.—1.1 cm.        -   Width.—Largest upper sepal: 0.4 cm Other sepals: 0.2 cm.        -   Shape.—Ligulate to ensiform.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Fused.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture.—Relatively long, fine hairs.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Androecium.—Number of anthers: 0 to 3 Filament length: 1.0            cm Filament color: RHS 155A (whitish) Filament diameter: 0.1            cm Pollen color: RHS 23A (yellow-orange) Pollen amount:            Little.        -   Gynoecium.—Pistil: Number: 1 Length: 0.10 cm to 0.11 cm            Diameter: 0.1 cm Stigma color: RHS 53A (deep-red) Stigma            shape: 5-to 6-lobed, at right angles to the style Style            color: RHS 155A (whitish) Style length: 0.3 cm to 0.4 cm            Style shape: Filiform (filament-like) with the lobes of the            stigma at right angles.-   Fruit and seed set: No seed set observed.-   Disease and insect resistance: No particular resistance or    susceptibility has been observed.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTAL AND COMMERCIAL CULTIVARS

‘Free Rured’ differs from the female parent ‘8652-2’ (unpatented) byhaving deeper green leaves, more evenly shaped flowers and an earlierflowering response than ‘8652-2’.

‘Free Rured’ differs from the male parent ‘8653-8’ (unpatented) byhaving dark-red flowers while ‘8653-8’ has burgundy-red flowers. Inaddition, ‘Free Rured’ has deeper green foliage and an earlier floweringresponse than ‘8653-8’.

‘Free Rured’ differs from the commercial variety ‘Fisruby’ (U.S. PlantPatent Applied for) by having flowers with more petals and a smallerinflorescence with shorter peduncles than ‘Fisruby’. In addition, ‘FreeRured’ has foliage with weaker to no zonation when compared to‘Fisruby’.

‘Free Rured’ differs from the commercial variety ‘Free Dark Red’ (U.S.Plant Pat. No. 12,446) by having darker-red flowers than ‘Free DarkRed’. In addition, ‘Free Rured’ has shorter peduncles, weaker to nozonation on the leaves and a tighter, more compact and shorter planthabit than ‘Free Dark Red’.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of pelargonium plant as shown anddescribed herein.